The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya, and the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashare, Gombe State, Professor Umaru Alhaji Pate, have urged media practitioners to adopt deliberative journalism and uphold the ethical standards of the profession to promote good governance.
While speaking desperately at the two-day Media Summit organised by the Bauchi State Council of NUJ, themed ‘Journalists and Good Governance,’ Alhassan said that fairness and objectivity remained the vital canon of the profession.
Represented by the former National Secretary of the Union, Shuaibu Usman Liman, Alhassan said that journalists should also prioritise their security and uphold their major role as a watchdog.
“First, we have to understand that we must be alive to tell the story. Anywhere that the security of our lives is not being guaranteed, let us not put our lives in danger. Similarly, we are partners in building democratic governance and in doing so, we must be objective,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Pate, who was represented by the Head, Department of Mass Communication, Prof. Godfrey Dannan, said, “We have to understand that things are changing; we were taught that journalists should distance themselves from their stories and allow the mass media audience to make judgment.
“Now, we have to embrace the concept of deliberative journalism – the concept that allows journalists to participate in an informed conversation about public important issues. This means, journalists don’t just report and leave the issues, they engage in an issue-based approach and democratic promotion through community engagement.”
Pate also charged journalists to prioritise solutions journalism and desist from press releases, which are said to be an organisational prepared speech.
The media summit was attended by the state Governor, Bala Mohammed (represented by the Chief of Staff, Dr. Aminu Gamawa), Commissioner of Information and Communication, Usman Shehu Usman, Special Advisor to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mukhtar Gidado, media executives in and outside Bauchi State and journalists across media organisations.
